Fisher-Price is taking responsibility for the potentially lethal nature of its Rock 'n Play Sleeper.
The company recently reannounced it is recalling all models of Rock 'n Play Sleepers following the deaths of eight more infants while in the rocker.
Fisher-Price previously recalled the product in 2019, but many parents chose not to heed the recall, leading to more infant deaths until now.
Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper Details
A picture of a Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) mentioned in its announcement that eight more infants have died due to Fisher-Price's Rock 'n Play Sleeper due to the same problem it was first recalled for in 2019.
The government agency stated that the fatalities occurred when the deceased infants rolled from their backs to their stomachs or side while unrestrained, causing them to suffocate by accident, per NPR.
According to Consumer Reports, inclined infant sleepers like the Rock 'n Play are dangerous to infants because they position an infant at an angle greater than 10 degrees, allowing their heads to fall forward.
Because of this and the sleeper's soft padding, infants put on the sleeper are at a heightened risk of being suffocated.
There are also other circumstances that led to the infants' suffocation, and as such, Fisher-Price had its sale discontinued and recalled.
Unfortunately, CPSC chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric stated that although many people heeded the product's recall in 2019, there are some who keep their Rock 'n Play Sleepers, causing more deaths by doing so.
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In fact, since the 2019 recall, around 70 infant deaths due to Fhisher-Price's sleeper occurred, which includes the previously mentioned eight, putting the sleeper's death toll to approximately 100.
However, Fisher-Price noted that it was unable to confirm the circumstances of the incidents or if the product involved in the fatality was a Rock 'n Play Sleeper.
Nevertheless, the company went through with the recall to protect infants and prevent further loss of life. This recall covers all Rock 'n Play Sleepers, including its Kids2 Rocking Sleeper, which has already taken four lives since the 2019 recall was announced.
In total, Fisher-Price is expecting 4.7 million Rock 'n Play Sleepers would be returned to them soon.
How To Get A Refund Or Voucher From Fisher-Price
The CPSC mentioned that those who wish to heed the recall could contact Fisher-Price for a refund or a voucher. To do so, Rock 'n Play Sleeper owners should keep in mind the following, per Mattel:
- If the sleeper was originally purchased new - either by the current owner or by the product's previous owner - on or after Oct. 12, 2018, the current owner would receive a full cash refund. To get it, the current owner has to either provide the sleeper's receipt or a piece of paper with the month and year of purchase written on it.
- If the sleeper was originally purchased new either by the current owner or the by its previous owner - before Oct. 12, 2018, the current owner would receive a voucher for a Fisher-Price product to be selected from a list of products provided by Fisher-Price. To get this voucher, the current owner has to either give the sleeper's receipt or a piece of paper with the month and year of purchase written on it.
Mattel is the owner of Fisher-Price, with the latter company being the former's subsidiary since 1993, per Reference For Business.
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